DID JFK Jr. pal Douglas Brinkley agree to be paid $10,000 by NBC News to provide commentary about his friend’s untimely death?

Nobody seems to know for sure. But according to a report in yesterday’s Washington Post, Brinkley accepted the money from NBC News to report “exclusively” on the aftermath of the tragedy after appearing elsewhere to provide commentary.

The paper also reported that Brinkley had initially accepted an offer from ABC News but bolted to NBC when they offered him a better deal.

Insiders now say that Brinkley did initially accept NBC’s monetary offer – then changed his mind once it was made public.

Brinkley failed to return a phone call seeking comment yesterday.

An NBC News spokeswoman declined to comment other than to say, “Doug Brinkley is a leading presidential historian and we turn to him all the time to talk about presidential politics in the 20th century.”

Brinkley is scheduled to appear on this morning’s “Today” show (7-9 a.m. on Ch.4) to discuss JFK Jr., who was buried at sea yesterday along with his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and her sister, Lauren Bessette.

Brinkley’s blabbing about Kennedy reportedly also peeved staffers at George, the political magazine co-founded by Kennedy, where Brinkley serves as a contributing editor.

George staffers reportedly removed Brinkley’s name from the magazine’s masthead out of disgust.